Episode 349 - Slender Man (2018)

It seems it has been awhile, but Slenderman indeed is almost a decade old. Created originally as a doctored photograph for a contest looking for creepy images, the “monster” has become an internet phenomenon. Entire web series, fan fiction, independent films, and “fake” sightings have all been produced over the years just adding to its “legend.” Now, Hollywood has taken a stab at making a film on the Slenderman. It arrived late summer to theaters everywhere.

In a small New England town, a group of four high school girls between drinking, smoking, and watching adult films decide to watch a sensational clip on the internet of the Slenderman. Days later when one goes missing, the other girls begin seeing a mysterious thin faceless man in a suit wherever they go. Have they summoned the Slenderman from the beyond and are their lives in danger?

The movie was originally to be a tentpole horror film for Sony Pictures, but with some backlash from folks related to a real crime that used the Slenderman in its act, the movie was first cut down, then shopped to other studios, and finally released early with little fan fair. Though reviews have been negative, the film earned back its money quickly from diehard Slenderman fans. What once was thought to be the next IT instead was a moderate success. Dark Discussions gives their take on the film.